Albuquerque Birth Injury Lawyer

At the Branch Law Firm, we understand malpractice often causes complications & injuries during labor and delivery. Examples include a delay in emergency C-sections and inattention to the fetal heart monitor. A low oxygen level can cause brain damage, resulting in cerebral palsy, and complete oxygen deprivation can lead to death. Another C-section complication is Erb’s palsy, which results in a baby getting stuck behind the pubic bone. In an attempt to avoid a C-section, some OB-GYNs will force the baby through the birth canal, causing extensive damage to the nerves on top of the arm. An ectopic pregnancy, when untreated, can also be fatal.

Albuquerque Birth Injury Attorney

The harm caused during the birthing process can have long-term detrimental consequences for not only the child but for the whole family. If you were hurt or experienced damage caused by a New Mexico health care provider, please contact the Branch Law Firm. Our Albuquerque birth injury lawyers will work tirelessly to bring a claim against the medical professionals who caused you harm.

Why Choose Our Birth Injury Lawyer?

We understand how traumatic a birth injury can be, and will fight for justice on behalf of your family.

• Our Albuquerque medical malpractice attorneys take cases on a contingency-fee-basis, which means you don’t pay any legal fees until we recover compensation for you.
• Our firm has more than 50 years of experience advocating for injury victims and their families.

Why Do You Need an Albuquerque Birth Injury Attorney?

Claims involving birth injuries are incredibly serious matters that should not be taken lightly. As a parent, you might assume a physician did everything they could to prevent the injury. However, that is not typically the case. An attorney experienced with these types of claims can assess your situation and advise you on your legal options if more could have been done.

After a birth injury event, the birthing center or hospital may send an insurance representative to speak to you. Without the professional advice of an Albuquerque birth injury attorney, you may end up accepting a settlement offer that is too little to fully meet your family’s financial needs – especially if the injury results in a lifetime of medical challenges for your child.

It can be frightening to go up against a physician or hospital, which is why an attorney can fight on your behalf to obtain the justice your child and your family are owed, as well as enough compensation to cover any current and future medical expenses related to the birth injury, your lost income from taking care of your child, and any pain and suffering endured.

What is a Birth Injury?

A birth injury can occur during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Many times, the child experiences the most trauma during childbirth. However, the mother may also suffer harm due to the event. The mother and child are usually monitored closely throughout the pregnancy; however, this may not be the fact post labor and delivery. Medical professionals sometimes fail to diagnose, treat or care for the mother and child, post-birth.

The following is a list of birth injuries the Branch Law Firm handles:

• Brain injury From Reduced Blood Flow/Ischemia
• Cesarean (C-Section) Delivery
• Eclampsia and Preeclampsia
• Erb’s Palsy
• Fetal Distress
• Forceps/Vacuum Extractions
• High Bilirubin
• Hypoxia/Birth Injuries from Lack of Oxygen
• Improper Fetal Monitoring During Labor
• Infections/Sepsis
• In Vitro Fertilization
• Kernicterus
• Low Blood Sugar
• Pitocin Overdose Errors
• Shoulder Dystocia
• Umbilical Cord Compression
• Uterine Rupture/VBAC

Common Types of Medical Malpractice

It is considered medical malpractice when a mother’s obstetrician, gynecologist, or other healthcare professionals she trusts to properly care for her and her baby deviate from their required standard of care.

Types of medical malpractice actions that commonly cause preventable birth injuries, include:

• Failure to provide adequate prenatal care, including diagnosing and treating maternal conditions
• Failure to diagnose and treat the mother for infections during pregnancy
• Failure to monitor vital signs during labor and delivery
• Lack of labor preparedness and mismanagement of normal delivery procedure
• Mismanagement of dystocia or breech deliveries
• Failure to detect and address problems with the umbilical cord
• Failure to respond to cardiac complications during birth
• Misuse of birth-assisting tools, such as forceps and vacuum extractors
• Failure to perform a medically advisable emergency cesarean section
• Failure to treat conditions in the newborn such as meconium aspiration syndrome, infant respiratory distress syndrome, or jaundice
• Failure to address and correct adverse effects from surgery or drugs, including complications from anesthesia and epidural toxicity

When a birth injury occurs, parents are often misled to believe that the preventable mistake was inevitable. However, even when a mother presents a major risk factor, the doctors and nurses should be trained in how to ensure a healthy delivery, by responding to the patient’s specific medical needs and remaining vigilant.

Holding Negligent Medical Providers Accountable

If you or your child suffered a birth injury from a New Mexico health care professional, you might have a medical malpractice claim. Mistakes and negligence, due to the lack of care provided by the healthcare provider, are subject to lawsuits. An injury caused during birth can affect the child for the rest of his or her life. Birth injuries can require significant medical attention including, treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term health care.

The personal injury attorneys at Branch Law Firm will help you establish your claim. You may be able to receive compensation for current and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, the projected cost of living, and other damages. Call (505) 243-3500 or message us online to schedule a free consultation today with an Albuquerque birth injury lawyer.